Talen Horton-Tucker and five other breakout stars of the NBA preseason

Even in a normal year, NBA preseason games can be misleading. But specific performances can show the progress of some developing players.

Small sample sizes can blur results and overreactions are not always wise, which is amplified even more by how strange this offseason has been. Similarly, anyone can get hot for one night, especially when playing in exhibition games. However, there are key moments that may be indicative of future successes.

Before the 2020-21 campaign tips off, we looked at some of the players around the league who seemed poised to have a potential breakout season based on what we saw during preseason action.